A Common Good Cyber Fund has been launched, designed to support the work of non-profits organizations that deliver core cybersecurity services for the wider public good.
The fund has been established by Common Good Cyber, a global initiative set up to implement models for sustaining groups, organizations and individuals involved in critical cybersecurity functions for the broader Internet community.
The governments of the UK and Canada have announced that they will both invest the joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund. Additionally, during the recent G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada, all G7 Leaders announced they would support initiatives like the Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund to aid members of civil society who are actively working to counter the threat of transnational repression.
The new fund will focus on supporting non-profits that provide the following services:
- Maintain and secure core digital infrastructure, including domain name system (DNS), routing and threat intelligence systems for the public good
- Deliver cybersecurity assistance to high-risk actors through training, rapid incident response and free-to-use tools
Philip Reitinger, President and CEO of the Global Cyber Alliance, one of the initiative’s secretariat organizations, commented: “Common Good Cyber represents a pivotal step toward a stronger, more inclusive cybersecurity ecosystem. By increasing the resilience and long-term sustainability of nonprofits working in cybersecurity, improving access to trusted services for civil society organizations and human rights defenders, and encouraging greater adoption of best practices and security-by-design principles, the Common Good Cyber Fund ultimately helps protect and empower all Internet users.”
The fund will operate through a collaborative structure, managed by the Internet Society. An expert advisory board will provide strategic guidance on developing granting programs for the Fund.
Further information about the funding, application process selection criteria, and other key details will be shared in the coming months.
Protecting Civil Society from a Range of Threats
Common Good Cyber is made up of seven secretariat non-profit organizations – Global Cyber Alliance, Cyber Threat Alliance, CyberPeace Institute, Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, Institute for Security and Technology and the Shadowserver Foundation.
The new fund is a first of its kind effort to fund cybersecurity for the common good – including those at the greatest risk of intimidation, harassment, harm and coercion.
The alliance highlighted the particular threats posed to civil society groups through the misuse of cyber capabilities to conduct surveillance, track individuals and facilitate physical targeting. This includes journalists and human rights groups.
In March 2025, Common Good Cyber launched a new mapping database designed to help NGOs and high-risk individuals find the resources they need to stay secure online.
During FIRSTCON in Copenhagen on June 24, Wendy Nather, senior research initiatives director at 1Password, welcomed the new fund, saying, “It shows that some organizations are trying to funnel more money on cyber non-profits on which we all depend.”
Now, she said, the cybersecurity community should go further and help other, non cyber-related non-profits to improve their cybersecurity posture. “Some of these should be considered critical infrastructure because if they don’t practice their mission, then people don’t get fed or rescued from human trafficking, for example.”
